DYNAMIC COMMAND PRESENTATION AND KEY CONFIGURATION FOR KEYBOARDS

• US 20130082935A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Seung, Hofmeester, Gerrit, Chandrasekaran, Vasudha, Duggan, Finbarr
• Granted Patent: US 11,099,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Techniques involving selective modification of keyboard presentation and functionality. A commanding mode is selectively activated on a virtual keyboard. Activating the commanding mode attributes commands to respective individual keys of the virtual keyboard. Also in response to the commanding mode, indicia suggestive of the command is presented on those individual keys to which the commands were attributed. The commands can be executed in an application in response to selection of the respective individual keys when in commanding mode.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

activating a commanding mode on a virtual keyboard, which attributes commands to respective individual keys of the virtual keyboard;

presenting indicia on the individual keys to which commands are attributed in response to the activation of the commanding mode; and

enabling execution of the commands in a processor-implemented application in response to selection of their respective individual keys when in commanding mode.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein enabling execution of the commands comprises initiating delivery of a series of keystroke actions for the respective command to a keyboard handler module in response to the selection of the respective individual key when in commanding mode.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting indicia on the individual keys to which commands are attributed comprises presenting indicia in a language to which the virtual keyboard is configured.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting indicia on the individual keys to which commands are attributed comprises presenting indicia in a language of an operating system on which the processor-implemented application executes.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein activating the commanding mode to attribute commands to respective individual keys comprises changing a default function attributed to the individual keys to the respective commands in response to activating the commanding mode.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising reverting the individual keys back to their default function after any of the commands is initiated in response to its respective individual key being selected while in commanding mode.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising reverting the individual keys back to their default function in response to deactivation of the commanding mode.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising activating the commanding mode by selecting at least one predetermined key, and further comprising deactivating the commanding mode by again selecting the at least one predetermined key.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processor-implemented application provides the commands and corresponding indicia.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising activating the commanding mode with a smart trigger that recognizes certain user input as a trigger to activate the commanding mode.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a touch-based keyboard comprising a plurality of visually presented keys, wherein at least one of the keys is configured as a modifier key, and wherein at least one of the other keys is configured as a standard key to provide a first function when selected; and

a processor configured to recognize selection of the modifier key to enter a commanding mode, and in response to the commanding mode to present command indicia on the standard key, and to reconfigure the standard key to provide a second function identifiable by the command indicia when selected.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to provide the second function by sending a command in response to selection of the reconfigured standard key when in the commanding mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a data retention device configured to store a series of keystroke actions for the command, and to send the series of keystroke actions in response to the reconfigured standard key being selected.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a data retention device configured to store at least the command indicia as provided by an application to which the command is provided, and wherein the processor is configured to present the command indicia provided by the application when in commanding mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to present the command indicia as at least text that identifies the command that is sent in response to selection of the reconfigured standard key when in the commanding mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to present the command indicia as at least an image that identifies the command that is sent in response to selection of the reconfigured standard key when in the commanding mode.

17. Computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a computing system for performing functions comprising:

presenting a touch keyboard;

providing a selectable modifier key on the touch keyboard configured to enable and disable a commanding mode;

recognizing that the commanding mode has been enabled by selection of the modifier key, and in response, dynamically presenting one or more command identifiers on one or more respective keys of the touch keyboard;

recognizing that one of the keys having the command identifiers presented thereon has been selected, and in response, providing a series of keystroke actions to a keyboard stack to carry out a command identified by the command identifier of the selected one of the keys; and

disabling the commanding mode to return the touch keyboard to its state prior to enabling of the commanding mode.

18. The computer-readable media as in claim 17, wherein the instructions for dynamically presenting one or more command identifiers on one or more respective keys comprise instructions for dynamically presenting the one or more command identifiers in a language installed on the touch keyboard.

19. The computer-readable media as in claim 17, wherein the instructions for dynamically presenting one or more command identifiers on one or more respective keys comprise instructions for dynamically presenting the one or more command identifiers in a language of an operating system running an application utilizing the touch keyboard.

20. The computer-readable media as in claim 17, wherein the instructions for providing a selectable modifier key on the touch keyboard comprise instructions for providing a CTRL key that is configured to enable and disable the commanding mode.